Ellen Forney

About 2.6 percent of American adults — nearly 6 million people — have bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The disease, characterized by significant and severe mood changes, is still dangerously misunderstood. Artist Ellen Forney detailed her diagnosis with bipolar disorder in the graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me.

When Ellen Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 16 years ago, her first concern was for her creative future. The award-winning cartoonist prided herself on the artwork and stories she’d come up with during periods she described as manic.

Ellen chronicles her experiences in her New York Times bestselling graphic memoirMarbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me.Forney describes it as the hardest work she’s ever done. She hopes people struggling with their own mental balance will read her story and draw inspiration from it.

“A lot of people came out after Robin Williams’s death, and in general there’s a lot more awareness about mental illness, but for the most part people still don’t feel safe talking abut their personal experiences. I think that the more people come out, the more the stigma will lift, but it’s not easy. I will say for myself, though, that coming out has made me feel infinitely stronger and more resilient.” Quote by Ellen Forney from the recent article in The Huffington Post. Full article

*National Alliance on Mental Illness on Campus, Learn About The Issue. Full article

The CNN host took part in an experiment designed by clinical psychologist Pat Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. Cooper put on earphones, and heard voices talking to him as he took a number of simple tests and walked around New York City.